Foldable ladder



May 23, 1950 J. H. HARDIE 2,508,915

FOLDABLE LADDER Filed Nov. 18, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN R JAMESHECTOR HARDXE J. H. HKfiDiE FOLDABLE LADDER M May 23, 1950 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed NOV. 18, 1948 FIGS IPIIIII FIGHT NVENTOR JAMES,HECTOR HAZDIE ATTORNEYS Patented May 23, 1956 1 FOEDABLEeLADDERJamesHectorIHardie, Montreal, 'Q'uebec',Canada,

,assig npr to The Robert Mitcfhelfcompany Ifim-'ite'il,*Moxitrea1,tQ1rebec, Canada i'ippl-icatiorfmovember18,r1-948,Serial- N 0. 69;723

w iClaims. (613228- 36) :1 g I V This invention relates to improvementsin -c ated-at 8 and gbeing fof any suitable construcroldableladders=equipped with zsupport engagtionli'The ladder also includesanadditional top ing hooksgprojectingabove thenpper endlof the \step orplatform 9.havingitslforward'portion ladder and-adapted"to be engagedwith a supfittedlbetween and. pivotallysecm'ed tothe' front wrport tohold the ladderr-i-n-either a-vertical or 57 uprights '6 as hereinafter"described. "Whedthe aninclined position with-reference to-the supladderisin the unfolded positionshown'in Figs. iport-and the grounder -fioorsurface. 7 Ladders Land 2 the top steporjplatformfi issupp'orted ofthistype are-usedlin railway'sleeping-cars-for in a horizontal position bymeans 'of a support- -the convenience ofthe occupants ofvupperberths;ing rod. Iii mounted in brackets H' carried by' the -in stores for theconvenience of-clerks in :reach- ,npper portions of the rear uprights"i. The rod -=;inghigh shelves-fortheremoval or placement fimrnerelyserves as a support .for the"top step 10f merchandise;-and ainzvar ious'other relations. ---e1-' plat'f0rm 9 and is not attachedthereto.

'Iheooject of the present invention is to pro 'The pivotal connectionbetween -tl'i'e'iront up- 'vide a generally improved ---ladder of thetype "rights iand' the top 's'teperfplatform 91 is shown trefer-red toembodying hook:operatingmeanior to advantage ixi'Figs. 4 to'f'inclusive.As here automatically turning the support-engaging sihowneachlpivotalconnection comprises .'a tu- {hooks-to a: folded position duringthe 'fold-ingoi @buiar'bearing member 12 extending"inward1y 'atheladderand to an :uniolded position during from oone'ioithelupright'syfithrough'anopening athe unfolding'ofthe ladder.its-provided in' the adjacent s'i'de' wan-m t'ofthe Other objects-advantages andcharacteristic -rtopste orplatforrn 9. A bar'ifi, securedto a --*;fea-turesof -the-invention-will lbe more readily rear wall' itio'flthe "step or platform "9, is prcapparent-from the iollow-ingdetailed description iiided lwith. cylindrical terminal extensions "1loom -taken- -in connection with theaccompanying -stitutingpivots whichare 'rotatalolyireceivje'd in --drawings,=inwhich 3 the tubular bearings1'2 ofhthe vvuprights E to :Fig. vl is airontviewpfa "ladder embodying25. provide pivotal connections about'which 1311617010 --1the invention.N step .or platform 9 is swingable "froznthefliori- Fig.- 2 is aside iewof theladder as it appears zontal position shown inFig's'. 2 and4'to'.theverits unfolded condition. wticai...posi tion shown in Figs. 3and 5.

"Fig. 3 is a fragmentaryside view showinglthe .n0k members,generally.indicatedhtilii, are anner.in-whichthe components-parts:of'ithe vslidab'lysand-rotatably mountediin the: upperladderassembly-are folded toan inoperative-posimportionslo'f .the front111pri'g hts 6 which, asfslrown --t-ion. .-in Figs. 4 and 5, are of?hollowv tubular construe- Fig-.4 is a-secti0na1-View--takensubstantially t'ion. Eachh'ookmember' w comprises'a'hillj'p'or- ---a long-the line- 4 -4 of Fig.2. tionI-I2*@1and a shankportion '21.

Fig. 5-=isa view similar to Fig hbut showing lThe sha'nkepertion"2'! ofeach hookfe extends the top stepof theJadder-inits folded positiondownwardlyrthroiigh acap"'22 clos'ing'ithejjupper as-compared with theunfolded position shown Mend oflone.of..-the uprights5 and through ananin Figr4. nular spacer -.member'2'3"fitted in theupper' end -Fig. 6 isa sectional view --taken substantially -,.of .tl-leli-iizright. incontact with the top portion alcng lthe section line 65 of Fig..4. 40fthe cap Z; the cap and spacerlbeingvsecured Fig. 7 15 a sectional viewtaken substantially 11in. pl ce lbyescrews 52 1. as shown/in Fig';"7.""'Ihe along-the section-line 1-1 of Fig.,-5. lowernendiof-ithe'lshankffliofaeac'h hook "19 is FigsB. is a fragmentary-side=elevational' viewLfittedinithe; upper vportion of a tubular guide ot thefilowerportionof-=one of the hook memuneniberlZ-E. .a'ndiisfrig-idly secured tosai'dag'uide hers; I g N H memher byha fastening pin 2'6.""The guidemem- Fig. -9:is asectionalview take -substantially -Joer 25 is sliclablyand rotatably fitted inlt'henphe section line -9 -9'of Figw8. :::-rightsfigand is provided, belowth'eiloweriend of As shown in these drawings,my improved the hook shank 2!, with aldrillediopening 21 laddecomprises-Ia O a y p d wfiank'ed Coy two-communicating recesses ,28 andsteps-S having their forward vportions fitted "be- :29' disposediatright angles to aeh ther. "Th

--tween andpiyotallysecured to laterallyspaced Jrecess-I28an'd partiofthe,openingfilare'formed ufrontrruprigh-ts Bandhavingtheirrear portionsby-forcinga.drillfthroughithe wallefthe tnbiilar fittedbetween-andpivotally secured todaterally guidememberf25.asindicatedlbydotted lines A .s-.; :spa'ced *rearuupri'ghts1-, the pivotal connections min l fig. 9.- Tilhe recess zlilandwtheremainingpor i'lnctween the steps andcthe uprights heingindb ssl tion-oi the opening. 2? .are theniforniedby drilling through the wall of theguide 25 in a direction at right angles to the first drilling operationas indicated by dotted lines A in Fig. 9. A pair of pin-carrying blocks3| are arranged within the top step or platform 9 adjacent the sidewalls l4 and are provided, at their outer ends, withoutwardly directedhook operating pins 32. These pins 32 extend outwardly through openingsin the side walls M of the step or platform 9 and into the tubular guidemembers 25 through the openings 21 provided in said guide members.

When the ladder is in its unfolded operative condition the componentparts thereof are arranged as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 6, the frontuprights 9 being spaced from the rear uprights I by the steps 5 and 9which are disposed in the horizontal position shown in Fig. 2 and thehooks I9 being arranged with their hook bills 29 directed rearwardly andoverlying the top step or platform 9. In this condition of the ladderthe hooks H! are in their lowermost position and the hook operating pins32 of the top step or platform 9 are disposed in the recesses 28 of thetubular guide members 25 attached to the shank portions 2| of the hooks.In this condition of the ladder the hook bills are disposed to beengaged over a support such aS the side rail or other support runningalong the side of an upper berth or bunk. If the hooks l9 are engagedover a support to position the ladder so that it inclines downwardly andoutwardly from said support the engagement of the lower ends of theuprights 6 and l with the floor surface will cause the rear uprights Ito be displaced upwardly with reference to the front uprights 3 and, inthis case, the pivotal connections between the uprights and the steps 5and 9 will permit the ladder to take up a horizontal position withreference to the floor line.

When the ladder is not required it is folded to a compact condition byshifting the rear uprights l upwardly and inwardly to a folded positionagainst the front uprights 6 as shown to advantage in Fig. 3. Duringthis shifting of the rear uprights I the rear portions of the steps 5and 9 swing upwardly in an anti-clockwise direc-' tion about theirpivotal connections to the front uprights 6.

When the top step or platform 9 is swung upwardly, either by hand or bythe pushing action of the rod H], from the horizontal position shown inFigs. 1, 2, and 4 to the vertical position shown in Figs. 3 and 5 thehook operating pins 32 carried by the step or platform 9 travel upwardlyand forwardly in arcuate slots 34 provided in the uprights 6. The slots34 are curved about a center a coinciding with the center of the pivotalaxis afforded by the bearings i2 and the pivots I7 and are positioned asshown in Figs. 6 and 7. As the hook operating pins 32 travel upwardlyand forwardly in the slots 34 they act against the top and rear wallportions of the openings 21 of the hook guides 25 to move said guidesupwardly in the uprights 6 and to simultaneously cause the guides torotate in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 4 and 5. Thisrotation of the guides 25 causes the attached hooks 49 to rotaterelatively to the uprights 6 so that the hook bills 20 are turned fromthe operative position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 to the folded positionshown in Figs. 3 and 7. In their last mentioned position the hook bills20 are directed inward toward each other and lie parallel with theuprights 6. When the ladder is again unfolded to the operative positionshown in Figs. 1 and 2 the hook operating pins 32 of the top step orplatform 9 travel downwardly and rearwardly in the arcuate slots 34 asthe step or platform 9 is swung downwardly and rearwardly from theposition shown in Figs. 3 and 5 to the position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and4. During this downward and rearward movement thereof the hook operatingpins 32 act against the rear and bottom portions of the openings 21 ofthe tubular hook guides 25 and causes said guides to move downwardly inthe uprights 6 and to simultaneously revolve relatively to the uprightsin a direction opposite that indicated by the arrows in Figs. 4. and 5.This causes the hook attached to the guides 25 to revolve so that thehook bills 29 are returned to the operative position shown in Figs. 1, 2and 6.

Having thus described the nature of my invention and a preferredembodiment thereof, it will be understood that various modifications maybe resorted to within the scope and spirit of the invention as definedby the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foldable ladder comprising front and rear pairs of laterally spaceduprights, a vertical series of steps having their forward portionspivotally secured to the uprights of the front pair and their rearportions pivotally secured to the uprights of the rear pair, said ladderbeing foldable by swinging the steps and one pair of uprights upwardlyand inwardly about the pivotal connections between the steps and theother pair of uprights, a pair of hooks rotatably carried. by certain ofsaid uprights and hook operating means functioning automatically to turnthe hooks to a folded position in response to the folding of the ladderand to an unfolded position in response to the unfolding of the ladder,said hook operating means interlocking the hooks with a part of theladder which moves relatively to the hook carrying apparatus duringfolding and unfolding of the ladder.

2. A ladder comprising a front pair of laterally spaced uprights, a rearpair of laterally spaced uprights, a plurality of steps having theirforward portions pivotally secured to the front uprights and their rearportions pivotally secured to the rear uprights, an additional steparranged above the first mentioned steps and having its forward portionpivotally secured to the front uprights, said ladder being foldable byshifting the rear uprights and the first mentioned steps upwardly andinwardly about the pivotal connections between said first mentionedsteps and the front uprights and being unfoldable by reverse shifting ofsaid rear uprights and said first mentioned steps about the said pivotalconnections between the first mentioned steps and the front'uprights,supporting means carried by the rear uprights for supporting the rearportion of said additional step in the unfolded condition of the ladder,a separate hook rotatably associated with the upper portion of eachfront upright and hook operating means interconnecting said hooks andsaid additional step and operable to automatically turn the hooks to afolded position in response to folding movement of said additional stepand to an unfolded position in response to unfolding movement of saidadditional step.

3. A ladder comprising a front pair of laterally spaced tubularuprights, a rear pair of laterally spaced uprights, a plurality of stepshaving their forward portions pivotally secured to the front uprightsand their rear portions pivotally secured to the rear uprights, anadditional step arranged above the first mentioned steps and having itsforward portion pivotally secured to the front uprights, said ladderbeing foldable by shifting the rear uprights and the steps upwardly andinwardly about the pivotal connections between the steps and the frontuprights and being unfoldable by shifting the rear uprights and thesteps in the reverse direction about said pivotal connections, meanscarried by the rear uprights for supporting said additional step in theunfolded condition of the ladder, a separate hook associated with eachof the front uprights, each hook having the lower portion of its shankslidably and rotatably fitted in the upper portion of the associatedfront upright, and hook operating means interconnecting said additionalstep-and the shank portions of said hooks and functioning toautomatically turn the hooks to a folded position in response to thefolding of the ladder and to an unfolded position in response to theunfolding of the ladder.

4. A ladder as set forth in claim 3, in which the hook operating meanscomprises tubular members secured to and projecting below the lower endsof the shank portions of the hooks, each of 6 said tubular members beingprovided below the associated hook shank with an opening piercing thewall of said tubular member and communicating with flanking recesseslying at right angles to each other, hook operating pins carried by saidadditional step and extending into the front uprights through arcuateslots which are formed in the walls of said uprights and are curvedabout a center coinciding with the axis of the pivotal connectionsprovided between said additional step and the front uprights, said pinsextending into the tubular members of the hooks through the openings ofsaid members.

JAMES HECTOR HARDIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 34,314 Monson Feb. 2, 18621,205,594 Close Nov. 21, 1916

